Austria: Au Pair Rules
Austria treats an au pair as an employee in a household, and the host family has to notify the public employment service (AMS) before the stay starts. The figures below are from the federal business service portal.
The rules
- Working time
Working time including time on call is a maximum of 16.5 hours a week.
- Minimum pay
For employment relationships entered into from 1 January 2026, at least €551.10 a month for 16.5 weekly hours of child care and light household help.
- Age
Between 18 and 28 years old.
- Notification to the AMS
The host family notifies the AMS at the latest two weeks before the activity starts and may not employ the au pair before the confirmation is issued.
- Length of stay
The confirmation is issued for six months first and can be extended by another six months under certain conditions.
- German
A minimum of German at level A1 of the Common European Framework before the employment starts.
- Social insurance
Registration with the statutory social insurance is required; below the marginal earnings threshold, registration for accident insurance is enough.
What we could not verify
These figures are missing on purpose. We found no official source stating them, and an estimate on a page about rules is worse than a gap.
- Holiday entitlement and the special payments an au pair receives over the year. The Domestic Help and Domestic Employees Act governs them; we did not read that act for this page.
Sources
- Au-pairUnternehmensserviceportal (USP), Republic of Austria · page updated 10 August 2026 · checked 17 Sep 2026
This page is a summary of published rules, not legal advice. Rules change, and an authority can read its own rules differently in an individual case. Check the linked source, and ask your agency or the responsible authority before you sign.
Other countries
United States (J-1)
Federal exchange-visitor rules: 45 hours a week, 1½ days off, education requirement, sponsor and DS-2019.
Germany
30 hours a week, €280 pocket money a month, €840 towards a German course, six to twelve months.
France
25 hours a week, at least €320 pocket money a month, French course, long-stay visa “jeune au pair”.
Netherlands
30 hours a week, 8 hours a day, two days off, one year maximum, recognised agency only.
United Kingdom
No au pair scheme: an au pair is an employee entitled to the National Minimum Wage.
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